This weekend I went to the Toronto Christmas Market at the Distillery District. It was enchanting. I highly recommend that you make the trek out to the east end of the city to check it out; it is well worth it.

Colmar, France is located close to Strasbourg right near to the German border. If the pictures haven't said it already, it is absolutely gorgeous; you feel like you are walking right into a story interpreted by the brothers Grimm. In 2009 our school organized a field trip for all the exchange students and we had the privilege to experience the Christmas market in this charming little village. Luck would have it, this same day, October 8th was the beginning of "la fête des lumières" in Lyon. We spent a long and amazing day here, and then walked the streets of Lyon that evening.

My exchange year in Lyon changed me in more ways than I could have imagined. I won't bore you with the details, but I have hundreds and hundreds of photos of my time abroad between 2009 to 2010. Due to the sheer volume of photos, this post will be dedicated to the first few months in the city. I did lots of sight-seeing during this time with some pretty amazing people that I am lucky enough to still call my closest friends today. It is amazing how traveling can strengthen relationships and bond people together, even with those you barely know.